Beyond the myths and rumours

Last month Housing Today reported on the Home Office's proposed amendment to the Asylum Bill: that asylum seekers granted leave to remain can only apply for housing in the area to which they have been dispersed by the National Asylum Support Service. This raises issues for social landlords working in these areas, because it means refugees will need to be housed in neighbourhoods that are not used to diverse, new communities and have few support networks.

Refugees and asylum seekers need to be properly introduced, oriented and integrated where they settle. Local people are also affected by their arrival and have anxieties and concerns that need to be addressed. Myth and rumour can quickly take root in a climate of uncertainty.

Crime reduction caravan
Resettlement programmes can be used to inform the public about the reasons why people become refugees. The Kosovar humanitarian programme and similar projects have shown that a group in need of protection can be used to promote public sympathy for refugees.

A crucial first step in supporting asylum seekers and refugees is to help them report abusive incidents. The Race Action Net website features examples of initiatives that meet this end.

In the West Midlands – in response to a growing number of incidents against asylum seeker families on a housing estate – the police and the local authority have brought together a multi-agency team drawn from the local housing estate office, the race equality council, the local asylum team and the community safety team.

The project's "crime reduction caravan" carries literature and displays and is used to answer local people's questions. The group first publicises the caravan's location and invites people to come along to express their concerns and to approach the police, housing officers and others dealing with racist incidents.

The caravan has contributed to an increase in the number of asylum seeker residents who are contacting and reporting incidents to authorities; they are also more willing to go through the asylum team to do this. The team then contacts the police officer dealing with vulnerable people and, in conjunction with the beat officers, works to identify offenders and gather evidence.

The reluctance to report incidents to the police can be overcome by setting up centres in fast-food outlets, petrol stations or supermarkets

Making it easier to report incidents
Other innovative approaches to encourage people to report incidents are featured on Race Action Net. The Open Out scheme run by Cambridge council and local police aims to overcome reluctance by setting up centres where complaints can be made at Sainsbury's, McDonald's, petrol stations and hospitals across the city.

The Leeds Racial Harassment Project, a multi-agency scheme in West Yorkshire, has worked with the asylum support team and the health asylum support agencies to set up a freephone helpline that allows callers to leave a message, make a report and request a follow-up call in their first language.

Answering locals' questions
There are also examples of initiatives that bring together refugees and host communities, generating familiarity and making hostility and attacks less likely.

Race Action Net members have been taking part in research commissioned by the Housing Corporation, the ODPM, the Home Office's Community Cohesion Unit, and the ODPM's Neighbourhood Renewal Unit. The research is looking at approaches to prevent, manage and tackle community conflict.

Many agencies and voluntary groups featured in the research to date have attempted to address fear or intolerance of difference by organising projects that bring people from different communities together. Asylum seekers and refugees are often best placed to address questions that local people may have. And one of the most effective ways to encourage understanding is for local people and refugees to meet each other.

In Hull, an asylum group rented two properties from the council and local people were invited to cafes to gain an understanding of Kurdish culture. In Barnsley an annual multicultural sports day has been running in conjunction with the local Indian welfare organisation for the past two years. Agencies and community groups in Sheffield jointly plan a "fun day" with many types of food, music, activities and games for young people.